Caution, slippery slope here. These things couldn't be more different from our cars - very little character or personality, unless you're talking Ducati or other semi-exotic.

For someone starting out, I'd recommend staying away from a 600cc sportbike, used or otherwise - the damned things are fast, and will get you into trouble in one quick hurry. We tend to forget that the throttle works both ways....

A look at one of Triumph's vertical twins, the ones built to emulate the Triumph classics of old, might be a way to go.

Honda makes some great stuff - a CRF230M would be a good starter bike, and I think if I had it to do all over again, after years of riding and racing Ducatis, I'd look hard at an NT700V.

Whatever you do, please be really careful. I arrived at the conclusion that the time for street riding is past, at least here in SoCal. Just too much traffic and too many really bad and inattentive drivers. Like I said, pretty easy to get hurt. And also, did I say that the throttle works both ways? Good to remember that.

I wish I could count the number of 600cc sportbikes that I have seen that have been down while they still had a paper tag on them. Granted, most of them were younger kids....

My first bike was a new GSX-R1100, back in 1986. Of course, I'd been riding around 14 years when I bought it... Still, I'd wager that it would have been a poor choice for someone new to the sport.

It doesn't matter to me what he chooses. I give my advice, like the rest of you, and he does what he wants with it. I just find it funny that so many people equate displacement with "enough speed" or "enough power". Like a beginner needs to go fast....

JR

well, a 250 is just not big enough, IMO, to be safe, especially for freeway or highway riding. i would ride one around town, for sure. hell, it'd be easier to deal with than jezebel. PLUS, after two weeks of riding, he'd be jonesing for something with a little more spunk. like i said, a 500cc bike, sport or cruiser, would be much better, IMO.

the CRF230 might be a good idea. Come to think of it I took my test riding an enduro a DT200 2 stroke that was almost like riding a bicycle. Light, nimble and upright. Just watch out when a big rig goes by you on the highway - with the wind going the right way it could put you off in the ditch if you were not expecting.

For beginner, it's good for local street. If you ever get on freeway, get bigger. I started out with 600 with a lot of mods from PO, and I still wish to have 750, not for the speed, but for stable when riding next to big trucks.